Laced boot or shoe.



No. 644,347. Patented Feb. 27', I900.

' C. BALCOM.

LACED BOOT on suns.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1898.) (N n M 0 de I WTNEESEEZ INVEN EIRP.THE mums PsrcRs ca. PwoYouT Hm vgsumuwmp. c.

\ NITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

CHARLES BALGOM, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LACED BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,347, dated February27, 1900. Application filed December 27, 1898. Serial No. 700,353. (Nomodel.)

.To 00% whom it may concern.-

, Be it known that I, CHARLES BALCOM, of Lynn, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Laced Boots or Shoes, of which the followingis aspecification.

My invention relates to boots and shoes having lacing-engagingdevices,such as hooks or studs,at opposite sides of the opening closedby the lacings; and it has for its object, first, to provide a boot orshoe of this character in which the opening shall be tightly closed bythe lacing-cord, preventing the admission of water, snow, &c., at anypoint along the length of the opening, and, secondly, to provide in astormproof boot or shoe of this class a durable and secure attachment ofthe lacing-engaging devices to the parts on which they are mounted.

The invention consists in the improvements which I willnow proceed todescribe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side view of a stormproof boot embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 represents a view of the lower end of the lacingcord detached.Fig. 4 represents a perspective view showing another form of stormproofboot embodying my invention. Fig. 5 represents a view similar to Fig. 2,showing a modification.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts inall the figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the flap or fly which forms oneside of the opening in the upper of a laced boot, said flap beingconstructed to overlap a portion of the quarter 19.

c 0 represent a series of lacing-engaging devices, which are preferablylacing hooks or studs attached to the flap a, and c arepresentacorresponding series of devices attached tothe quarter 1), thehooks or studs 0' alternating with the hooks or studs 0, so that byasinglelacing-cord 01, attached, as hereinafter described,to the boot,the hooks or studs 0' can "be engaged alternately with the hooks orstuds 0 in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

The fly a and quarter 6 in a stormproof boot are composed of a part orlayer 2, of textile fabric and rubber, and a lining 3, of textilefabric. The part or layer 2 is made by combining or assemblingunvulcanized rubber and fabric, and the lacing hooks or studs aresecured to thelayer2 whilein this condition-*- that is, before thevulcanizing process-each hook or stud having an attaching device 0 (hereshown as an eyelet,) which is inserted in the layer 2 and spread orupset to anchor it to the said layer. It will be understood, however,that the hooks or studs may have any other suitable attaching means.After the hooks or studs are thus secured to the unvulcanized layer 2the lining 3 is applied to the inner surface of the layer 2, coveringthe attaching devices 0 of the hooks or studs. The upper is subsequentlyvulcanized in the usual way, preferably after all the parts, includingthe rubber bottom, have been connected, all the rubber parts of the bootor shoe being vulcanized at one operation. It will be seen that by thisconstruction the fastening devices 0 are covered by the lining 3, and assaid fastening devices are clenched or upset while the layer 2 is in asoft and plastic condition the clenched ends of the fastening devicessink into the layer 2, so that they do not form protuberances on itsinner side, the added thickness of the upset portions of the fasteningdevices being thus compensated for. This is indicated in Fig. 2, inwhich there is also represented a reinforcing device .9, hereinafterdescribed. In said figure the reinforcing device and the clenched end ofthe fastening device are both sunk into the layer 2, so that they formno protuberance on the under side of said layer, and the lining 3 isperfectly smooth on its under surface of both the attaching andreinforcing devices. The

parts of the upper and fiap containing the lacing-engaging devices aretherefore free from protuberances on their inner sides, sothat the partin contact with the foot does not create discomfort to the wearer, whilein the construction shown in Figs-1 and 2 the inner surface of the flapis enabled to closely fit the outer surface of the quarter 1), therebeing no protuberance 5 on the inner surface of the quarter. Thedescribed construction enables the lacing-cord d to press the flapclosely against the quarter along the entire length of the flap, thusmaintaining a tight joint between the two parts.

I secure the lower end of the lacing-cord d to the outer surface of theflapa byforming a loop (1' on said lower end and causing said loop toencircle the fastening devices 0 of the lowest hook or stud 0, so thatwhen the said hook or stud is attached it will clamp and hold the loop dfirmlyagainst the outer surface of the flap a, as shown in Fig. 2. Thelacing therefore extends across and bears downward upon the flap a at apoint in close proximity to the point where said flap joins and ispermanently connected to the quarter,

so thatthere is noopportunity for the lower end of the flap to stand outfrom the quarter. The lacing-cord is secured in the manner describedbefore the vulcanizing operation, so that the loop is caused to indentthe outer surface of the compressiblefiap a. The-vulcanization of therubber makes permanent the indentations formed by the fastening andreinforcing devices and by the loop d,so that the said parts are firmlyheld when the shoe is completed. Owing to the fact that the loop-disfirmly clamped against and some whatembedded' in the surface. of theflap a, the saidifiap is pressed firmly down upon the portion of theshoe over which it laps when the-cordhas been engaged with the. seriesof hooksorstuds, whereby-theshoe will'be firmly closed at the, lower endof the opening, at' .which pointmoisture has been mostliable to enter inshoes of this type as heretofore const'ructed.

InFig. 4 I show the above-described improvements applied to a stormproofboot which is open in front and hastwo flaps d d which overlap a bellowsflap or tongued; One of the flaps d is provided with a. series oflacinghooksor studs 0 and the other. with a series of lacinghooksorstuds c, the manner'of attaching the hooks or studs to the flaps cland themannerof securing the lacing tothe lowestlacing-engagingdevices.c being the same as that described in connectionwith Figs; 1' and 2.

It'willbe seen that by the described method of attaching thelacing-engaging devices the inner surfaces of. the-.flaps d 'are leftsmooth and free from protuberances, so thatthey can form tight joints onthe flap 01 while the. connection of the lowerend of the lacing to theouter surface of the flap (1 enables it tohold" thetongueor flap downupon the tongue or fiapd -.9 represents atreinforcingdevice which may bemade of leather, metal, or any'other suit able materiallwhich whenengaged with the attaching members of the hooksor studs will prevent.said membersfrom being pulled out of the layer 2. Said reinforcing.device may be in thefornr of a strip engaged with a series of attachingdevices 0 or a series of smallerpieces or'washers',each engagingone ofsaid attaching devices. The thickness added by the reinforcingdevicesis. compensatedforby the sinking of. said devices, with the upsetportions of the fastening devices,

. into the compressible parts of rubber and fabric. The reinforcingdevice is here shown as placed-in contact with the layer 2 in positionto receive the attaching devices a; but if desired it may be located atthe inner side of the lining 3, in which case the attaching de- 'vices.0 would pass through the said lining,

as shown in Fig. 5, the lining being also drawn inwardly by the upsetportions of the fastening devices, so that its thickness is compensatedfor.

I claim- 1'. A stormproof boot or shoe having two compressible'partsoffabric and rubber forming the sides of an opening, and cord-engag- ,ingmembers projecting from the outer surgfaces of said partsand having.fastening defvices which extend through thecompressible parts and areturned or upset within. said ;parts, the upset portions of thefasteningdevices indentingor compressing; the surrounding compressible materialbefore the sameis vulcanized, to compensate for the thickness; of

jsaid upset portions, whereby the: formation of projectionson the innersurfaces of the jcompressible parts is prevented, and. a lacing cord'engaged with said projectionsiis-ien- Iabled to maintain. a tight.jointbetween the gparts which it connects, the said compressilbl'e partsbeing strengthened by vulcanization after the-compression: oftheportions. su rrounding the fastening devices..-

f 2. A stormproof boot. or shoehaving two compressible parts of fabricand rubber, form.-

ling the sides of an.opening,cordeengaging jmembers projecting from the.outer surfaces gof said parts and having fastening. devices i whichextend through thecompressible parts and are turned or upsetwithin saidparts,

between theinner surfaces of the compressi i ble parts and theupsetportions of. said? fastening devices and surround thelatter, the

,said' fastening andreinf'orcing. devices being iembedd'ed in thecompressible partsrbefore compression of the port-ions of theisaidiparts which surround thefasteningdevices, tocom- Q pensate forthe.thicknessof.thefasteningand {reinforcing devices, whereby the,formation 10f projections on. the. inner surfaces of'the 1 compressiblepartsis prevented, and alacingcord. engaged'with saidlprojections isenabled which it connects,the said compressible parts ibeingstrengthened by vulcanization after the fastening devices;

3. A st'ormproof bootorshoehaving two parts forming the. sides of amopening, each f partxbeingcomposedof an outer compressible layer offabricandlrubber and an innerlayer jor lining. attached. thereto, cord-engaging l members projecting outwardly from the outer jsurface of" theouter layer of each part, and having; fastening devices which extendthrough said compressible outer layers and and reinforcingdevicesiwhichz are. interposed.

,vulcanization oflthe latter and. causing, the

fthe compressionof. the portions surrounding fto maintain a tight jointbetween the parts 7 are upset within the latter, and reinforcing deviceswhich are interposed between the inner surfaces of the outer layers andthe inner layers and surround the said fastening devices, the saidfastening and reinforcing devices being embedded in the inner surface ofthe outer layers before vulcanization,which outer layers are compressedaround the fastening devices to compensate for the thickness of theupset portions of the fastening devices and the reinforcing devices,whereby the formation of projections on the inner surfaces of the outerlayers is prevented, so that the inner layers lie smoothly andwithoutinward projections upon all the outer layers and reinforcing andfastening devices, the

outer layers being strengthened by vulcanization after the compressionof the portions surrounding the fastening devices.

4. A stormproof boot or shoe having two compressible parts of fabric andrubber, form ing the sides of an opening, cord-engaging membersprojecting from the outer surfaces of said parts and having fasteningdevices which extend through the compressible parts and are upset withinthe latter and pressed into the inner surfaces of the compressible partsbefore vulcanization, and alacing-cord having a loop which is interposedbetween the outer surface of one of the compressible parts and the headof the lower cord engaging member on said part and is pressed into theouter surface of said compressible part before vulcanizatiomthe saidcompressible parts being subsequently vulcanized, so that theindentations made therein by the fastening devices and the loop of thelacing-cord are made permanent.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES BALOOlVL Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

